Illinois Times owner looks back at 50 years of local news coverage in Springfield

The Illinois Times is a category of newspaper known as an “alt weekly,” conceived as an alternative to the daily newspaper in a community. For Springfield, the IT has become a primary news source, not an alternative.

The IT recently celebrated its 50th anniversary — surviving many changes in journalism from the rise of the internet and social media to the collapse of classified advertising. The Citizens Club of Springfield will hold an event  on Friday to honor both the 50th anniversary of the IT as well as NPR Illinois.

Fletcher Farrar has seen so many of those changes firsthand. He’s owned the paper since 1977 and serves as its editor too. He joins the program to talk about the anniversary, the paper’s history, and what comes next.

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Fletcher Farrar 
Owner and Editor, Illinois Times